Bethlehem sites given Unesco World Heritage status

The UN’s cultural agency, Unesco, has voted to add the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and its pilgrimage route to the list of World Heritage Sites.

The Palestinian delegation welcomed the approval of its bid to get protected status for the church, built on a site some believe was Jesus’s birthplace. Israel and the US opposed the move, saying it was politically motivated. It was the first such approval since Palestine was controversially granted membership of Unesco last year. Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity – originally constructed in 399 above a cave traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus and rebuilt after fire in the 6th Century – is among the holiest sites in Christianity. The short section of the pilgrimage route from Jerusalem to Bethlehem – following the historical route believed to have been taken by Mary and Joseph – is used for the procession of the Patriarchs at Christmas. An estimated two million people visit the two sites every year.